From the Rector

Dear Friends in Christ,

One of the facts of parish life is that as congregations change, grow, shrink, the more their space needs shift. Uses of some spaces that made all the sense in the world at one point change. New spaces are identified as better for one need or another.

One of the parts of the campus master plan under development that I am quite excited about is the construction of a new, modern, purpose-built library space.

It will reflect the character of the current space that so many love but be built with modern library usage in mind—including study, collaboration, and meeting space. It will be integrated with our archives and allow our collection to be more readily accessible and available.

The goal is for that space to be added to the footprint of the La Parroquia building in a way that doesn’t disrupt the building’s historic character but, instead, draws from that character to shape its own.

This transition was planned for some time as the master plan came into focus, and was one of the early goals laid out.

The current library space will receive some much needed attention and maintenance. The drainage issues affecting the Perry Garden have resulted in significant erosion of the stability of the library’s north wall and extensive work is needed to address that reality. Additionally, the ceiling trusses have become increasingly unstable and threaten to become unsafe.

We’ve moved everything out of the library for both parts of that work to be done.

Looking ahead at the master plan, it seems an inefficient step to move the collection back and to return all the shelves, furniture, and more only to move them out again and into the new library space for which we’ve planned.

So we’ve decided to carefully store our collection and can thank many volunteers for doing that work. We will begin to transition the current library space back to something like its original use as a children’s chapel.

With the need for additional children’s formation spaces on Sundays, a desperate need for high quality meeting space, and the desire for a place where we can host classes, meetings, dinners, and more, the current library is being transitioned to a flex-space design. It will retain its historic character and charm while also making it usable for a wide range of purposes.

The need for new children’s spaces is a need most congregations these days don’t have the luxury of wrestling with—so let’s not lose sight of the fact that such a challenge is a real and wonderful gift.

As the needs for space of all kinds increase, we’re factoring those needs into the master plan with a goal that new spaces are always built with a purpose in mind but designed in such a way that future congregations can adapt and make use of them in new ways. This will allow the parish to meet the always evolving needs of the community.

The library space is one that I deeply love. I study, meet, and relax there frequently. It was also a space where I met many of you for the first time when I had weekly open-door meetings to get together with whomever might show up.

I’m looking forward to the new library space yet to be created. Anyone who has been in my office knows that I love to cover any spare space with a stack of books!

As much as I’ve loved the space, I also always hold in mind some advice I was given from an elderly couple in Denver. In talking about life at the cathedral, they said, “We don’t necessarily love all the changes but we also love this place enough to let it change.”

That’s good life advice for people, too, by the way! As things change and evolve, sometimes in ways that annoy us, I will keep that couple’s advice in mind and keep looking for ways the master plan can both reflect our historic character, design, and mission while also making room for the next congregation to dream and find a sense of home, too.

Our target is for the current work to be done in time for the space to be used when we host the diocesan convention this fall. It will also be done in conjunction with necessary improvements to the drainage that caused much of the current challenge—and with an eye toward harvesting and using that water in the most ecologically responsible way possible.

I want to thank, in particular, the Renouf and Nelson families for the gift of their support for the vital role a parish library can play in the life of a congregation. Their ministry will be at the heart of the new library space.

I’m always grateful to serve in a place where learning and scholarship plays such a vibrant role in our life together.

Yours in Christ,

—Fr Robert